Tag: Bellator 239

Bellator 243 pre-event facts: The many records of Michael Chandler

Check out all the facts and figures about Bellator 243, which takes place Friday with a Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson main event.

Bellator puts on its second event since returning from a coronavirus-induced hiatus on Friday with Bellator 243, which takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN.

A high-stakes lightweight rematch goes down in the main event. After former multi-time Bellator champ [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 17-5 BMMA) won the first fight by split decision in November 2016, [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (28-8 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) will get a shot at redemption as he attempts to continue his best winning streak in years.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 30 pre-event facts about Bellator 243.

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Main event

Michael Chandler

Chandler competes in his 23rd Bellator bout, tied with David Rickels for the most appearances in company history.

Chandler has earned 15 of his 20 career victories by stoppage. That includes 12 of his 17 Bellator wins.

Chandler’s 17 victories in Bellator competition are second most in company history behind Patricio Freire (18).

Chandler’s 14 victories in Bellator lightweight competition are tied with Patricky Freire for most in divisional history.

Chandler’s 12 stoppage victories in Bellator competition are most in company history.

Chandler’s nine stoppage victories in Bellator lightweight competition are tied with Patricky Freire for most in divisional history.

Chandler’s six submission victories in Bellator competition are tied for second most in company history behind Goiti Yamauchi (eight).

Chandler’s 11 appearances in Bellator title fights are most in company history.

Chandler is one of three fighters in Bellator/UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce history with three title reigns in a single weight class. Randy Couture and Douglas Lima also accomplished the feat.

Chandler’s six victories in Bellator championship fights are second most in company history behind Freire (eight).

Chandler’s five losses in Bellator title fights are the most in company history.

Benson Henderson

Henderson is a former UFC and WEC lightweight champion. He’s 0-2 in Bellator title fights.

Henderson is 5-2 since he returned to the lightweight division in August 2016.

Henderson’s four-fight Bellator winning streak in lightweight competition is the second longest active streak in the division behind Patricky Freire (five).

Henderson’s four-fight MMA winning streak is his longest since 2011.

Co-main event

Matt Mitrione

[autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), 42, is the oldest of the eight scheduled main-card fighters.

Mitrione’s three-fight winless skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.

Mitrione vs. Kharitonov marked the third shortest no-contest in Bellator/UFC/WEC/Strikeforce/PRIDE combined history at just 15 seconds. Only Marius Zaromskis vs. Waachim Spiritwolf (6 seconds) at Strikeforce Challengers 12 and Kevin Casey vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (11 seconds) at UFC Fight Night 80 were faster.

All of Mitrione’s career bouts have taken place under the Bellator or UFC banners.

[autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) has earned 10 of his 13 career victories by stoppage.

Remaining main card

Myles Jury

[autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) is 1-1 since he returned to the lightweight division in September.

[autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] (29-10-1 MMA, 7-8 BMMA) was successful in his Bellator lightweight debut at Bellator 240 in February.

Karakhanyan is 1-2 since he returned to Bellator for a third stint in March 2019.

[autotag]Curtis Millender[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) was successful in his return to Bellator for a third stint with a win at Bellator 238 in January.

Bold statements: The 6 standout Bellator performances of 2020 so far

MMA Junkie’s Simon Head picks out six big statements made by Bellator fighters during the promotion’s curtailed 2020 event schedule.

With big-name signings, an ongoing $1 million tournament and growing excitement around the future of the promotion, 2020 looked set to be a big year for Bellator MMA. But the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic placed the sporting world – including Bellator – on an enforced hiatus as social distancing and quarantine measures were introduced in nations across the world.

It meant that Bellator’s event schedule hit the brakes after just three shows in 2020. But in those three events, we witnessed six fighters deliver contrasting, yet decisive, statements as they looked to further their respective careers inside the Bellator cage.

We take a look back at six big statements made inside the Bellator cage so far in 2020…

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Cris Cyborg ascends the throne

Bellator 238, Jan. 25, The Forum, Inglewood

Reports of [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag]’s demise following her UFC title defeat to Amanda Nunes were grossly exaggerated, and the Brazilian women’s MMA icon emphatically proved that fact on her Bellator debut as she overpowered long-reigning champion Julia Budd to capture the promotion’s women’s featherweight title at Bellator 238.

Cyborg (22-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) put the pedal to the metal from the first round and kept her foot flat on the floor as she pushed a relentless pace on the Canadian before eventually breaking down the champion in the championship rounds for a fourth-round TKO finish.

The victory put Cyborg’s name into the history books as the first fighter to win titles in four major MMA organizations, having captured titles in Strikeforce, Invicta FC, UFC, and now Bellator.

Now, with the Brazilian back on top, but with a much deeper pool of 145-pound contenders to defend against, the challenges should come thick and fast once Bellator restarts its event schedule.

Next up: Bellator’s “super prospect” bounces back with big KO

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Bellator free fight: Relive Timothy Johnson’s vicious knockout of Tyrell Fortune

An early contender for 2020 “Knockout of the Year” went down at Bellator 239.

[autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag] went into his Bellator 239 co-feature bout with [autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] looking to claim the biggest name on his resume to date.

The veteran Johnson, meanwhile, entered the main card heavyweight fight on Feb. 21 with losses in his first two Bellator matchups and thus had something to prove.

It figured to be an interesting matchup at the world-famous WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla., but who knew just how memorable it would be?

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Midway through the opening round, Johnson knocked Fortune cold with a hellacious right hand to the jaw. It was an all-time great Bellator knockout and an early contender for “Knockout of the Year.”

With fights on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bellator has been opening up the video library and making fights free to watch. Johnson’s knockout is the latest such moment, and you can relive it by watching the video above.

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Bellator free fight: Yaroslav Amosov stays perfect with impressive win over Ed Ruth

Ukrainian welterweight contender Yaroslav Amosov showcased his Bellator title credentials with a decision win over fellow contender Ed Ruth.

Unbeaten Ukrainain welterweight contender [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag]’s most recent appearance inside the Bellator cage saw him produce an impressive performance, and a statement victory, over fellow contender [autotag]Ed Ruth[/autotag] at Bellator 239.

The two rising welterweight contenders went head to head at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okl. as seasoned grappler Amosov (23-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) took on former collegiate wrestling standout Ruth (8-2 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) in a fascinating contest.

Ruth started the better of the pair in Round 1 as he bounced back from an Amasov throw to take the Ukrainian to the mat with a double-leg takedown. But the grappling skills of both men tended to even out the exchanges as the bout returned to the feet, with Ruth looking marginally the more comfortable in the early going.

Round 2 saw Amosov up the intensity and turn the fight in his favor as he worked his striking and connected with a string of left hands, while looking sharper in the grappling exchanges. With the fight back on track and with Amosov seemingly in his groove, the unbeaten contender maintained the upper hand for the remainder of the matchup as the bout went all the way to the scorecards.

All three judges saw it the same, as they gave Amosov two rounds to Ruth’s one for 29-28 scores on all three cards as the 26-year-old from Kiev extended his perfect professional record and pushed his claims for a shot at Douglas Lima’s welterweight title.

Recap the full fight via the video above.

Bellator free fight: Relive Valentin Moldavsky’s mauling of Javy Ayala

Javy Ayala is super tough, but he had no answers for Valentin Moldavsky at Bellator 239.

[autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] didn’t get the finish against Javy Ayala at Bellator 239. But he dominated the Bellator 239 main-card opener in every conceivable fashion.

Moldavsky landed heavy shots in the standup and won the grappling game at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla., on Feb. 21. Ayala, for his part, lived up to his truly underrated reputation for toughness, but getting to the final horn was about the only thing that went right for him on this night.

The judges’ scores were a pair of 30-24s and a 30-25 in the heavyweight bout as Moldavsky, a former world sambo championships gold medalist, improved to 4-0 in the Bellator cage.

With the MMA world on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bellator has gone into its library and made several fights free for fans to enjoy. So check out Moldavsky vs. Ayala in the video above.

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MMA Junkie’s ‘Knockout of the Month’ for February: An all-time Bellator upset

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from February 2020.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from February 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Knockout of the Month” award for February.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

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The Nominees

Khaos Williams def. Alex Morono at UFC 247

A short-notice replacement for injured welterweight Dhiego Lima, [autotag]Khaos Williams[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) entered enemy territory and trucked Alex Morono (17-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) as a massive underdog.

Williams came out fists-a-flying, winging punches at the Fortis MMA product. Morono retreated, but his back hit the cage, and he couldn’t escape Williams’ heat. Eventually Williams landed a hard combination that crumpled Morono. Follow-up shots added insult to injury before the referee pulled Williams off the fallen Texan after just 27 seconds.

Jan Blachowicz def. Corey Anderson at UFC on ESPN+ 25

[autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC), who has been on the list of contenders at 205 pounds for quite some time but never quite made it to the top, knocked Corey Anderson (13-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) cold in the opening round of their rematch.

With champ Jon Jones closely watching, Blachowicz earned the knockout just over three minutes into the fight when he connected with a wicked right hand that found the home. Anderson went down in a heap, and Blachowicz got revenge for a decision loss in the first fight back in 2015.

Timothy Johnson def. Tyrell Fortune at Bellator 239

Based on betting odds alone, [autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) pulled off one of the great upsets in Bellator history when he shocked top heavyweight prospect Tyrell Fortune (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) in the first round.

Merely seen as the next name on Fortune’s flourishing resume, Johnson had other plans when he found the chin of his opponent early in the fight. Fortune couldn’t handle the clean shot, and was knocked out upon impact for the stunning result.

Jake Childers def. Nate Togbah Richardson at LFA 82

Undefeated featherweight [autotag]Jake Childers[/autotag] (8-0) kept his perfect record intact with a first-round victory over Nate Togbah Richardson (7-2), and while the result wasn’t necessarily a surprise, the way it ended certainly was intriguing.

Working from the clinch in the opening frame, Childers wrapped the body and elevated Richardson in the air before slamming him to the canvas. The impact was enough to render Richardson unconscious, and Childers was awarded the knockout victory.

Priscila Cachoeira def. Shana Dobson at UFC on ESPN+ 26

In desperate need of a win after dropping three consecutive fights to begin her UFC tenure, [autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) came through big with a brilliant first-round knockout of Shana Dobson (3-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC).

Cachoeira wasted no time getting into the fight. She was aggressive from the outset, and Dobson clearly wasn’t ready for it. The Brazilian caught Dobson with an uppercut in the opening seconds, putting her down and wrapping the fight up in a mere 40 seconds.

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The Winner: Timothy Johnson

Fortune raised eyebrows during Bellator 239 fight week by proclaiming himself the best heavyweight in the world. However, Johnson had something to say about that when they got into the cage together.

Veteran Johnson, who was previously winless in Bellator, used a hellacious right hand to knock Fortune cold in the opening round of their main card bout. The knockout came at the 2:35 mark of the round.

There wasn’t much going on up until the fight’s climactic moment. The duo stalked one another and tried to figure out their ranges.

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Johnson plainly found his first, as he flicked a left and then landed his bomb flush on the jaw. Fortune was out by the time he hit the mat and the fight was waved off.

The Las Vegas-based competitor had been in a bad way in recent outings, dropping five off his past eight and losing his first two bouts after leaving the UFC for Bellator. It’s almost needless to say he was thrilled with the result.

“It feels weird – it’s been a while since I’ve been in the win column,” Johnson said after his sixth career KO/TKO victory. “That was definitely what I needed. I needed to come out and make a statement.”

Fortune, whose entire career has been with Bellator, was knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten.

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Spinning Back Clique: What’s the biggest fallout from Dan Hooker’s win over Paul Felder?

What’s the fallout from Dan Hooker’s narrow split decision win over Paul Felder in the UFC on ESPN+ 26 main event in Auckland?

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, “Gorgeous” George, “Goze” and John Morgan unpack what went down at UFC on ESPN+ 26, including the Dan Hooker vs. Paul Felder main event.

SHOW RUNDOWN:

  • Dan Hooker beat Paul Felder with a razor-thin split decision in the UFC on ESPN+ 26 main event. Did the judges get it right? And what should happen next for Hooker and Felder?
  • UFC women’s strawweight Angela Hill fought for the sixth time in 11 months, which is a new promotional record. Is she the female Donald Cerrone? Should she keep fighting with this frequency, or should she chill out and wait for some big fights to try to get into title contention?
  • UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya got a lot of heat for a comment that seemed to make light of 9/11. He apologized after the fact. Did he really screw up in an unforgivable way? And was his apology on the mark?
  • Bellator had back-to-back events this past weekend – one in Thackerville, Okla., and one in Dublin. Who were the fighters that stood out from the two shows?
  • This week, Joseph Benavidez goes after a flyweight title once again when he takes on Deiveson Figueiredo for the vacant belt in the UFC Norfolk main event. Does he have to have this belt to cement his legacy?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 17 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

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Did UFC Auckland end in controversy or was right call made? | Spinning Back Clique.mp4

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan is joined by MMA Junkie Radio’s own Gorgeous George and Goze to unpack the biggest storylines coming out of UFC Auckland and Bellator 239/Dublin/240

MMA Junkie’s John Morgan is joined by MMA Junkie Radio’s own Gorgeous George and Goze to unpack the biggest storylines coming out of UFC Auckland and Bellator 239/Dublin/240

MMA Junkie Radio #3029: UFC Auckland and Bellator recaps, Fury-Wilder, Adesanya, more

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” look back at the UFC and Bellator shows from Friday-Saturday and react to the latest MMA news and notes.

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Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode No. 3,029 of the podcast, the guys look back at a busy combat sports weekend with UFC Auckland, Bellator 239, Bellator Dublin and Fury vs. Wilder, and they react to the latest MMA news and notes.

THE RUNDOWN

  • UFC on ESPN+ 26 went down in New Zealand with a killer main event between Dan Hooker and Paul Felder. We look back at the card.
  • Bellator had back-to-back events with Bellator 239 in Oklahoma and Bellator 240/Bellator Europe 7 in Dublin. We go through the most important results.
  • How did you score Hooker’s split decision win over Felder?
  • Should Hooker get Justin Gaethje next? That’s whom he called out.
  • Should Felder hang up the gloves after his loss? He said he was considering it, but his team says that was just in the moment.
  • Did Jimmy Crute have his coming-out party with a big TKO of Michal Oleksiejczuk in Auckland?
  • Should Karolina Kowalkiewicz call it quits after a fourth straight loss at UFC Auckland? We think she should.
  • Angela Hill set the new bar in Auckland with six UFC fights in less than a year. Should she take a rest and slow down?
  • UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya ruffled plenty of feathers with a 9/11 comment. He apologized after the fact and owned up to it. We break down the situation.
  • How was the Tyson Fury win over Deontay Wilder on Saturday night different from a big UFC event?
  • Submission Underground went down Sunday, and we recap the event.

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Bellator 239 post-event facts: Yaroslav Amosov extends remarkable streak

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 239, which took place Friday in Thackerville, Okla.

Bellator hosted its second event of the year on Friday with Bellator 239, which took place at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla., with a main card that aired on Paramount following prelims on MMA Junkie.

In the main event, [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] (23-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) continued the longest MMA winning streak among Bellator fighters when he edged [autotag]Ed Ruth[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) by unanimous decision in the matchup of welterweight contenders.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for 25 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 239.

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General

Betting favorites went 3-1 on the main card.

Betting favorites improved to 2-0 in Bellator main events this year.

Total fight time for the four-bout main card was 47:35.

Main card

Amosov’s 23-fight winning streak in MMA competition is the longest among active Bellator fighters.

Amosov has earned three of his four Bellator victories by decision.

Ruth fell to 2-2 in his past four fights after starting his career 6-0.

Ruth fell to 3-2 since he dropped to the Bellator welterweight division in June 2018.

Ruth suffered the first decision loss of his career.

Myles Jury. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

[autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) snapped his three-fight losing skid for his first victory since December 2017.

Jury improved to 1-1 since he returned to the lightweight division in September.

[autotag]Brandon Girtz[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 8-7 BMMA) fell to 2-5 in his past seven Bellator appearances dating back to November 2016.

Girtz has suffered four of his seven Bellator losses by decision.

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[autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) has earned 10 of his 13 career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMA) had his eight-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

[autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag]’s (9-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) four-fight Bellator winning streak at heavyweight is the second longest active streak in the division behind Tyrell Fortune (eight).

Moldavsky has earned three of his four Bellator victories by decision.

[autotag]Javy Ayala[/autotag] (11-8 MMA, 6-5 BMMA) fell to 3-5 in his past eight fights dating back to June 2015.

Preliminary card

[autotag]J.W. Kiser[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

[autotag]Gaston Bolanos[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

[autotag]Denise Kielholtz[/autotag]’s (5-2 MMA, 5-2 BMMA) five victories in Bellator women’s flyweight competition are tied with Juliana Velasquez for second most in divisional history behind Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (10).

Kielholtz’s three-fight Bellator winning streak at women’s flyweight is the third longest active streak in the division behind Macfarlane (10) and Velasquez (five).

Kielholtz’s four stoppage victories in Bellator women’s flyweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Macfarlane (seven).

Kielholtz’s three submission victories in Bellator women’s flyweight competition are tied with Emily Ducote for second most in divisional history behind Macfarlane (six).

[autotag]Kristina Williams[/autotag] (3-3 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) suffered the first submission loss of her career.

[autotag]Shawn Bunch[/autotag] (9-5 MMA, 6-4 BMMA) fell to 2-2 since he returned to Bellator for a second stint in November 2018.

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